Chapter 86: A Difficult Problem (The author is suffering from a terrible toothache and will only be releasing one chapter today. Apologies!)

“Heh, now it’s clear. Like father, like son,” Zhang Aimin laughed, having long suspected that Shu’s background was far from simple.

“I can’t let this go—I have to ask my dad when I get home,” Shu pretended to grumble, feigning indignation that his father had kept secrets from him for over twenty years.

But Zhang Aimin’s expression grew serious as he cautioned, “You’d best not ask your father, nor mention this to anyone else.”

“Why not?” Shu was puzzled.

“If such a glorious past has been kept silent for more than twenty years, there must be another reason. My advice is to wait and observe before doing anything.” Zhang Aimin was convinced things were not as simple as they appeared.

“Alright, I’ll take your advice, Uncle Zhang.” Shu had always trusted Zhang Aimin’s counsel.

The two, one old, one young, found themselves engrossed in conversation, time slipping by unnoticed until it was already late into the night.

Noticing the hour, Shu rose to take his leave. After all, Zhang Aimin was still recovering, and he didn’t want his visit to become a burden instead.

Zhang Aimin, always a man of discipline, believed that even the most stimulating conversations shouldn’t encroach on rest. He instructed his private driver to take Shu home.

Shu felt a bit embarrassed at first and tried to refuse, but recalling Zhang Aimin’s usual way of handling things, he realized it was better to accept graciously.

He returned home to find it was already late, but his parents were still awake. Remembering Zhang Aimin’s warning, he talked only about amusing stories from his competition, never mentioning the “Old Ghost” even once.

When Shu brought up organizing his own race at Cloudtop Peak, his father’s eyes flickered with a barely perceptible joy.

Perhaps it was because he now knew his father’s story, but Shu didn’t miss that fleeting change in his father’s expression.

“Tomorrow, I’ll be meeting with Uncle Zhang and the chairman of the Nanshan Automobile Association to apply for event approval. Would you mind taking me there?” Shu probed deliberately.

“No, I’ve already made plans to have lunch with some old friends,” his father replied steadily, though his eyes betrayed a hint of unease.

“Lunch? My meeting with Uncle Zhang is quite early—eight thirty in the morning,” Shu pressed, having anticipated his father’s excuse and deliberately setting the time earlier.

“...” His father hesitated, and after a moment’s pause, seemed to come to a decision, “Alright, I’ll drive you.”

“Great! That’s settled. I’m off to bed—goodnight!” Shu hurried off before his father could change his mind, pleased that his little ploy had succeeded.

His father, seeing Shu’s mischievous grin, said nothing more. He too went to his room and, lying in bed, picked up a newly purchased novel.

The next morning, Shu, Zhang Aimin, and Shanhe arrived punctually at the entrance of the Nanshan Automobile Association.

Upon seeing Shanhe again, Zhang Aimin walked over to the driver’s side of the car, reached through the lowered window, and shook the hand of his fellow veteran racer with meaningful intent.

Shanhe, unable to get out in time, smiled apologetically, “Hello, Mr. Zhang. I’ll just wait down here while you go up.”

“No problem, thank you for your trouble, old friend,” Zhang Aimin replied, not insisting.

As Shu and Zhang Aimin entered the association, Shanhe sat alone in the car, sighing to himself, “Heh, it’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

...

Knock, knock, knock...

Inside his office, Chairman Zhu Tao of the Automobile Association heard someone at the door. “Come in!” he called.

An old man and a young man entered. Zhu Tao stood up to greet them, “Ah, Mr. Zhang! Please, have a seat.”

Clearly, Zhu Tao and Zhang Aimin were on good terms, which gave Shu some reassurance.

“Mr. Zhang, you wouldn’t visit without good reason. What can I do for you today?” Zhu Tao’s tone was polite.

“Haha, you guessed it, Zhu. I do have business today—on behalf of this young man,” Zhang Aimin gestured toward Shu and got straight to the point.

“Oh? What’s your business? Tell me about it,” Zhu Tao said, motioning for Shu to speak.

Shu quickly pulled out a neatly bound stack of newly printed event proposals from his bag and handed them to Zhu Tao with both hands.

Zhu Tao glanced with interest at the proposal’s title, then looked Shu up and down before leafing through the pages.

Shu felt a twinge of anxiety—he wasn’t sure if the Association would support his plan. Seeing Zhu Tao’s furrowed brow, he sensed things might be more complicated than he’d hoped.

Sure enough, after a cursory look, Zhu Tao set the proposal aside and said, “The plan is good, but I’m not sure you have the funding to back it.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m already a GTCC Grand Champion and ERC stage winner—you should know that,” Shu said, thumping his chest confidently.

“Achievements are one thing, but they don’t guarantee financial backing. Do you have any other advantages?” Zhu Tao didn’t seem impressed by Shu’s accolades.

“Well...” Shu was at a loss—he hadn’t realized the Association would require proof of funding.

“Don’t worry, Zhu, I’ll be supporting Shu from behind the scenes,” Zhang Aimin quickly interjected.

Zhu Tao nodded, then closed the proposal and raised an eyebrow, “But... I’ve heard your company was recently acquired by someone else, wasn’t it?”

Hah! Shu’s irritation rose. This Chairman Zhu really knew how to poke a sore spot. Who said Uncle Zhang had no money just because his company was acquired?

Zhang Aimin smiled wryly and patted Shu’s knee, anticipating his impatience. Now was not the time for a temper.

“Haha, Zhu, your words sting! Just because my company was acquired, does that mean I can’t sponsor a team?” Zhang Aimin masked his displeasure with a smile.

“It’s not that, old friend. When you had your company, the Association trusted you, but now...,” Zhu Tao paused, then continued, “The Association has devoted all its energy this past year to another event that’s about to launch. We simply don’t have the resources to help you right now.”

“Could you at least tell us what kind of event the Association is working on?” Since Zhu Tao was clearly refusing them, Zhang Aimin decided to press further.

Zhu Tao’s eyes darted slyly as he replied, “For old times’ sake, I’ll tell you this much: it’s a joint venture between a foreign company and a local one.”

So that’s it. He was almost certainly referring to Black Gold Petroleum and the Kunsheng Group. Who else in Nanshan would be interested in auto racing?

Now Shu understood why the Chairman was stonewalling—they were being deliberately sidelined by someone pulling strings from behind the scenes.

“Chairman Zhu, are you saying these two companies are the ones who acquired Uncle Zhang’s business?” Shu asked coldly.

Zhu Tao, seeing Shu’s directness, no longer bothered to hide it. He laughed dryly, folded his arms, crossed his legs, and said nothing, tacitly confirming it.

So that was it. Chairman Zhu cared only for money, not personal relationships. And how could he be so sure that Shu and Zhang Aimin lacked the funds? It was clear he had already made promises to Black Gold and was intentionally making things difficult for them.